2017 Newbery Reading List

The 2016 winners have been announced. Hope you had time to catch your breath. Let’s start reading again!

FREEDOM IN CONGO SQUARE by Carole Boston Weatherford . . . Fresh on the heels of the first Newbery Medal picture book, I offer you this one to consider. It’s got three starred reviews so far, and could likely add to that total in the coming weeks. Weatherford could go the Joyce Sidman route. She gets on our radar by authoring a couple of Caldecott Honor texts and–boom!–she’s a Newbery winner in her own right before you know it.

MAKOONS by Louise Erdrich . . . To me, this is the most anticipated read of the year. If you’ve ever heard me whine about the first three books in the series–something about the literary equivalent of watching paint dry on the wall–that will probably shock you, but CHICKADEE won me over with its brevity and humor in a way that the other books didn’t. I’m hoping for big things from this one. Don’t let me down, Erdrich!

PAX by Sara Pennypacker . . . Now that the CLEMENTINE series has wrapped up, it will be interesting to see what direction Pennypacker’s career takes. We got a glimpse of it, I think, with SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS, a book that sharply divided us here. I think PAX, which I’ve already read, will probably have a unifying effect on us. That is, I think we’ll all find it distinguished; it’s just a question of to what degree. And illustrations by Jon Klassen . . . that doesn’t hurt, does it?

RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE by Kate DiCamillo . . . A new novel from DiCamillo is always cause for celebration, and almost always cause for Newbery speculation. I kind of put my foot in my mouth last time around when I opined that FLORA & ULYSSES was my least favorite of her novels. But that doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm for this one at all. Appears to be autobiographical, too. Could DiCamillo become the first three-time Newbery Medalist? I’m betting on her, if not for this book, then perhaps another one.

SAMURAI RISING by Pamela Turner . . . With three starred reviews this one seems like the leading nonfiction candidate at this point in the year. I’ve enjoyed Turner’s work on the Scientists in the Field series, but this one represents a bit of a change of pace for her–and what a welcome one it is! I can’t wait to read this one either. And illustrations by Gareth Hinds–notice the recurring theme here.

This list is by no means comprehensive, and if you’ve read something that you think deserves our attention, please add it below in the comments.

Jonathan Hunt is the Coordinator of Library Media Services at the San Diego County Office of Education. He served on the 2006 Newbery committee, and has also judged the Caldecott Medal, the Printz Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. You can reach him at hunt_yellow@yahoo.com

Currently reading PAX and can’t wait to get to Applet’s MAYBE A FOX
I’d add another Pennypacker to the 2017 discussion list. WAYLON has 2 starred reviews and though existing in the same world as the Clementine series, this is a fresh start and just as much fun.
At the top of my nonfiction to-read list are THE BORDEN MURDERS by Sarah Miller and BUBONIC PLAGUE by Gail Jarrow.
On the graphic novel side of things I’m excited to see Raina Telgemeier’s GHOSTS.

And though it probably doesn’t “stand on its own” I can’t imagine reading anything more powerful or awe-inspiring than THE STORYTELLER, Aaron Starmer’s conclusion to his brilliant Riverman Trilogy.

Ha! YES Kate…BIG Seinfeld fan…
love me a wealthy American industrialist!!! That Pennypacker Varnsen Vanderlay episode…classic!
However I did also love Gypsy Moths, was hoping for an ALA nod for Dullards and regularly check out Clementine to students. And teamed with Klassen…say no more!

I don’t know if other people are still reading this blog, but I recently reviewed “Free Verse” by Sarah Dooley for SLJ and it’s terrific. Pub date of March 15th. Another title to look for, and it’s not one of our well known authors. I think we often spot their new books and know to read them, but I think this is a debut author.

January stars update! For those who don’t know: I keep a Google spreadsheet of the starred book reviews given by Booklist, the Bulletin, Horn Book, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and SLJ. To see the spreadsheet you can visit my website (link in the sidebar). Here’s a list of everything with 3 or more stars.

No books have received 5 or 6 stars yet.
5 books have received 4 stars – one (Unbecoming by Jenny Downham) has a British author and is therefore ineligible, I believe – although I am not even close to the final authority on that. The most likely contender of the remaining 4 has been covered by Jonathan above – Pax by Sara Pennypacker. However, given that the committees are making all sorts of outside the box choices in the past couple of years here’s the other three:
The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan – reviewed by most for ages 12 and up – so a little old, but not outside the range
Ideas Are All Around by Philip C. Stead – picture book
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson – reviewed for age 14/Grade 9 and up so just touches the range, but probably too old

23 titles have received 3 stars – I’ve divided them into three lists: traditional contenders (middle of the age range – novels or non-fiction); outliers; and non-US authors. Obviously you should not ignore that second list of outliers – I definitely feel like anything can happen these days! But if you have limited reading time and want to play the odds you could focus on the first list.

Outliers – 15 titles (9 picture books, 1 poetry collection, 3 reviewed solidly as YA and 2 that I almost moved to that top list….)
Character, Driven by David Lubar – top of Newbery age range
Cricket Song by Anne Hunter – picture book
Emma and Julia Love Ballet by Barbara McClintock – picture book
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford – picture book
The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle – YA
Horrible Bear! by Ame Dyckman – picture book
I Hear a Pickle and Smell, See, Touch & Taste It, Too! by Rachel Isadora – picture book
The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork – top of Newbery age range
Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) by Julie Falatko – picture book
The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters – YA
Swap! by Steve Light – picture book
Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach – YA
When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano – poetry
The White Cat and the Monk by Jo Ellen Bogart – picture book
You Never Heard of Casey Stengel?! by Jonah Winter – picture book biography

These 4 have non-US authors (based on brief internet research-so again – others may know more)
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston – Canadian
Half Lost by Sally Green – UK
My Name Is Not Friday by Jon Walter – UK
When Mischief Came to Town by Katrina Nannestad – Australian

Oh, Jen, how I value your list!! Thanks for allowing us to share your hard work and wealth of knowledge. Last year I used your list to stay abreast of good titles before this group restarted, and thus was in much better spot to really join the conversations. I hope to do even better this year, thanks to you!

As always Elaine and Kimbra, thank you for the kind words! I’m just glad there’s other people who can get use out of the info and with whom to geek out about this stuff!

At the end of February there were no 5 or 6 star books. 9 books received 4 stars, 39 books received 3 stars. I’ve divided them into three lists: traditional contenders (middle of the age range – novels or non-fiction – 11 books); outliers (29 books); and non-US authors (8 books) – but in general you probably have to figure out the criteria that work for you and how widely you want to read. Titles that weren’t on the previous comment have been marked NEW, 4 star titles are also noted. Also – when it comes to eligibility I’m just taking guesses based on brief Google searches – I assume I’m wrong about someone’s nationality somewhere……my apologies if so!

Traditional Contenders:
The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox
The Door By the Staircase by Katherine Marsh – NEW
Free Verse by Sarah Dooley – NEW
Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee
The Most Important Thing by Avi – short stories, so considered putting this below, but previous winner and smack in the middle of the age range, so went with this list – NEW
Pax by Sara Pennypacker – 4 stars
Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo – NEW
Samurai Rising by Pamela S. Turner – non-fiction
The Storyteller by Aaron Starmer – NEW
We Will Not Be Silent by Russell Freedman – non-fiction – NEW
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown – 4 stars

Outliers:
¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z!/Olinguito, from A to Z! by Lulu Delacre – picture book – NEW
Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit – top of Newbery age range – NEW
Anything But Ordinary Addie by Mara Rockliff – picture book biography – NEW
Are We There Yet? by Dan Santat – picture book – NEW
The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan – top of Newbery age range – 4 stars
Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina – YA – NEW
Character, Driven by David Lubar – top of Newbery age range
Cricket Song by Anne Hunter – picture book
Emma and Julia Love Ballet by Barbara McClintock – picture book
Essential Maps for the Lost by Deb Caletti – YA – NEW
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford – picture book
The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle – YA
Horrible Bear! by Ame Dyckman – picture book
I Hear a Pickle and Smell, See, Touch & Taste It, Too! by Rachel Isadora – picture book – 4 stars
Ideas Are All Around by Philip C. Stead – picture book – 4 stars
Jazz Day by Roxane Orgill – poetry collection – NEW
The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork – top of Newbery age range – 4 stars
Miss Mary Reporting by Sue Macy – picture book biography – NEW
Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) by Julie Falatko – picture book
The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters – YA
Swap! by Steve Light – picture book
Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach – YA
Their Great Gift by John Coy – picture book non-fiction – NEW
Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie – picture book – NEW
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson – YA – 4 stars
Wet Cement by Bob Raczka – poetry collection – NEW
When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano – poetry
The White Cat and the Monk by Jo Ellen Bogart – picture book
You Never Heard of Casey Stengel?! by Jonah Winter – picture book biography

Non-US authors: (based on brief internet research-not the final authority)
Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling by Tony Cliff – Canadian – NEW
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston – Canadian – 4 stars
Half Lost by Sally Green – UK
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge – UK – NEW
My Name Is Not Friday by Jon Walter – UK
The Night Gardener by Terry and Eric Fan – Canadian – NEW
Unbecoming by Jenny Downham – UK – 4 stars
When Mischief Came to Town by Katrina Nannestad – Australian

Just read Booked…LOVED it, possibly more than The Crossover…having Kwame here at the same time probably helped the vibe.
Can’t wait to go through the books above. Thanks for making getting the right books to Shanghai so much easier with comprehensive lists like this, love everyone’s ideas.

We have our first 5 star books! Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo and Jazz Day by Roxane Orgill. There are also 20 books that have 4 stars and 41 books that have 3 stars. Three lists: traditional contenders (middle of the age range – novels or non-fiction – 14 books); outliers (37 books); and non-US authors (12 books).

Traditional Contenders:
Booked by Kwame Alexander – 4 stars – NEW
The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox
The Door By the Staircase by Katherine Marsh
Free Verse by Sarah Dooley
Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar – NEW
Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee
The Most Important Thing by Avi – short stories
Pax by Sara Pennypacker – 4 stars
Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo – 5 stars
Samurai Rising by Pamela S. Turner – non-fiction – 4 stars
The Storyteller by Aaron Starmer
We Will Not Be Silent by Russell Freedman – non-fiction – 4 stars
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown – 4 stars
Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk – NEW

Outliers:
¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z!/Olinguito, from A to Z! by Lulu Delacre – picture book – 4 stars
Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit – top of Newbery age range
Anything But Ordinary Addie by Mara Rockliff – picture book biography
Are We There Yet? by Dan Santat – picture book
The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan – top of Newbery age range – 4 stars
Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina – YA – 4 stars
Character, Driven by David Lubar – top of Newbery age range
Cricket Song by Anne Hunter – picture book
Draw the Line by Laurent Linn – YA – NEW
Emma and Julia Love Ballet by Barbara McClintock – picture book
Essential Maps for the Lost by Deb Caletti – YA
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford – picture book
The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle – YA
Horrible Bear! by Ame Dyckman – picture book
I Hear a Pickle and Smell, See, Touch & Taste It, Too! by Rachel Isadora – picture book – 4 stars
Ideas Are All Around by Philip C. Stead – picture book – 4 stars
Jazz Day by Roxane Orgill – poetry collection – 5 stars
The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork – top of Newbery age range – 4 stars
Miss Mary Reporting by Sue Macy – picture book biography
The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos – YA – NEW
The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry – YA – NEW
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater – YA – NEW
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner – YA – NEW
Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) by Julie Falatko – picture book – 4 stars
Spot, the Cat by Henry Cole – picture book – NEW
The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters – YA
Swap! by Steve Light – picture book
Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach – YA
There Is a Tribe of Kids by Lane Smith – picture book – NEW
Their Great Gift by John Coy – picture book non-fiction
Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie – picture book – 4 stars
Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley – picture book – NEW
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson – YA – 4 stars
Wet Cement by Bob Raczka – poetry collection – 4 stars
When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano – poetry – 4 stars
The White Cat and the Monk by Jo Ellen Bogart – picture book – 4 stars
You Never Heard of Casey Stengel?! by Jonah Winter – picture book biography

Non-US authors: (based on brief internet research-not the final authority)
Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling by Tony Cliff – Canadian
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston – Canadian – 4 stars
Golden Boys by Sonya Hartnett – Australian – NEW
Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer – UK – NEW
Half Lost by Sally Green – UK
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge – UK – 4 stars
My Name Is Not Friday by Jon Walter – UK
The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks – Canadian – NEW
The Night Gardener by Terry and Eric Fan – Canadian
A Tangle of Gold by Jaclyn Moriarty – Australian – NEW
Unbecoming by Jenny Downham – UK – 4 stars
When Mischief Came to Town by Katrina Nannestad – Australian

There’s now 61 books with 3 stars or more that could be eligible. Not a lot of new traditional contenders this month – you’ll definitely want to look at Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson, but otherwise new list additions are either YA or picture books. Also of note: Jazz Day by Orgill is the first 6-star book of the year.

I haven’t read Joan Bauer’s book yet, but I’ve finished PAX. I’ve been a fan of Pennypacker’s Clementine series and also found much to appreciate in her SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS. I was anticipating a marvelous read when I started PAX, but it didn’t live up to my expectations.

I give Pennypacker credit for writing something so different from her other work, but I think this book lacks her sharp insight and light, sure touch.To me, PAX feels forced. The fox portions of the story appeal to me more than the boy’s and feel more “real” and developed. Peter’s story has an almost fairy tale feeling that serves the theme but strikes me as heavy handed. Of course, this is my opinion, and obviously many other readers love the book.

[…] our first few months of books with nothing more than my own opinion and Heavy Medal’s extremely early 2017 Reading List to guide me. Our first discussion will take on Sara Pennypacker’s Pax and Joan Bauer’s […]

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About Heavy Medal

Steven Engelfried is the Library Services Manager at the Wilsonville Public Library in Oregon. He served on the 2010 Newbery committee, chaired the 2013 Newbery Committee, and also served on the 2002 Caldecott committee. You can reach him at sengelfried@yahoo.com.

Sharon McKellar is the Community Relations Librarian for the Oakland Public Library in California. She has served on the Rainbow List Committee, the Notable Children's Recordings Committee as well as the 2015 Caldecott Committee. You can reach her at sharon@mckellar.org.

Roxanne Hsu Feldman is the Middle School (4th to 8th grade) Librarian at the Dalton School in New York City. She served on the 2002 and 2013 Newbery Committees. Roxanne was also a member of 2008-2009 Notable Books for Children, 2015 Best Fiction for Young Adults, and the 2017 Odyssey Award Committees. In 2016 Roxanne was one of the three judges for the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards. You can reach her at at roxannefeldman@gmail.com.

Join us from September to January as we discuss all things Newbery: the history and purpose of the award, terms and criteria, possible contenders, and results of Mock Newbery discussions--including yours?